Sizijtg-machiwe



W. 6. PRICE.

SIZING MACHINE.

"memos mm APR. 25, ms.

Patentd Dec. 23, 1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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SIZING MACHINE.

APPucATmu FILED APR. 26. ms.

1,325,909. Patented Dec. 23,1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

wn ufssss M W. G PRICE.

SIZING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 26, 19:6.

Patented Dec. 23, 1919.

4 SHETS-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES W. G. PRICE.

SIZING MACHINE.

APPHCAH-ON. FILED APR. 2a. 1916.

Patented Dec. 23, 1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

WIT ESSES ?1 R. {3m

WILLIAM 6. rates, or NORTH Yaxn m, wnsrrme'ron.

SIZING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 23, 1919.

Application flied April 26, 1916. Serial No. 93,788.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known. that I, Wmmm G. Force, a citizen of the United States, and res dent of North Yakima, in the county of Yakima and State of Washington, haveinv ented a new and useful Improvement in Sizing-Machines; andl do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to apparatus for sining apples, fruits, vegetables or other articles.

The a paratus of the present invention involves t e same principle as the apparatus which forms the subject-matter of an application for Letters Patent of the Umted States filed by me October 10, 1913, Serial No. 794,476, in that the articles are thrown varying distances according to we1ghtart1- cles of different weight being thrown dlfl'erent distances and collected in difl'erent bins or receptacles. V

To meet the demands of the fruit industry, it is necessary to sort the apples, for 1nstance, intothree grades and Wide each grade into a number of different SIZES. so that the object of my present invention is to meet this demand and provide for thesort ing of the apples by hand and the s zing by the machine itself. 0

In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 and 1 show a plan view of my improved apparatus said figure extending over two sheets of the drawings due-tot e nabil ty to illustrate it on one sheet; Fig-2 1s a side elevation of my. improved apparatus showing only a portion of the receptacles or receiving-bins; Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion of the machine without the receptacles or bins; Fig. 4 is an enlarged sideelevation, partly 1n section, of one of the dlstribut ng wheels; Fig. 5 is a cross-sect on on the l ne 55, Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a section on the line 66, Fig. 15 and Fig. 7 is asect on on the line 7-7, Fig. 1, 7 7

Referring to the drawing the numeral 109 indicates a receiving box for the apples or other articles onto which they are dis.- charged. The sorting-belts 22 and 26 extend under thebox 109 and pass down runways 1 and 5, as indicated in F1g.6. These sorting-belts are carried on pulleys 112 at their rear ends and at their forward ends 0 like pulleys 112 on shaft 19. V V

At the forward ends of the sorting-belts 22 and 26 are the openings 18 130 permitthe leaves or other foreign substance to pass through. V V r The floor 113iis higher than the runways 1 and 5 so that the fruit cannot pass beyond the openings 18- The movement of the belts 22 and 26 is controlled by the lever 13, which acts on a suitable clutch 16 connecting the sprocketwheel 27 to the shaft 19.

Feeding-belts 23, 24 and 25 extend under the box 109 and pass down the runways 2, 3 and 4. These belts are carried on suitable pulleys 25', which are located on short shafts 25, between and higher than the short shafts 112, which carry the pulleys 112. The belts 23, 24 and 25 are also carried at their forward ends on suitable pulleys 25 mounted on the shaft 20. The belts 23, 24 and 25 are higher than belts 22 and 26 and are so arated from them and from each other partitions 114, 115 and 116 and 117. T ese partitions have the movable portions 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 at the discharge ends of the feedin -belts, said partitions being mounted on ivots 118, and said partitions may he adJusted in any desired position by means of the wing-nuts 12.

The feeding-belts 23, 24 and 25 are mounted on suitable pulleys on the shaft 20, which carries the sprocket-wheel 29 driven b the sprocket-belt 30, which is carried on tli e sprocket-wheel 31, which inturn is attached to the shaft 32, which carries the pulley 91 driven b any suitable power.

In order to rive the sorting bolts 22 and 26, the shaft 19 has the sprocketswheel 27, which is engaged by the sprocket belt 28 connected up to the sprocket-wheel 21. The sprocket-wheel 27 is smaller than sprocketwheel 21, which causes the sorting-belts to move faster than the feeding-belts.

The shaft 32 is carried in the frame 110 and said shaft carries the cam-wheels 34, 35 and 36, which are keyed to the shaft 32. These wheels are provided with the earns 40 and the pins 7 7 Attachedto the wheels 34, 35 and 36 are the lug-wheels 70 provided with the lugs 3.9. The wheels 34, 35 and 36 each support two rails 37 and 38 which are hinged b a jaw 80 to a cross rod 90 of the macli ine. and are provided with beveled surfaces 69 to form a ide for the fruit in its palsxszge to the receiving-cup hereinafter res to. V

Journaled in the lugs 75 is a plate divider 73 to which is attached a lever-arm 76. The lever-arm 76 is in the path of rotat'ion of the pins 77 on the cam-Wheels so that when said Wheels revolve said pins engage the levers 76 and lift the dividers op into position indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 4, and hold back the fruit. V V 7 A Spaced between the dividers 73 and the feeding-belts 23, 24 and 25 is a flexible helical spring 78 Which forms a bridge or support for the fruit when it is passing from the belt to the divider, as indicated Fig. 4. This spring extends across the machine and past 'the. three feeding-belts The cam-levers &1 are providedvvith bearings 90, which engage the journal $2 in the bracket 119. The free ends of theleverstl are engaged by the cams 40 and are de pressed as the cam-wheels revolve.

The cam-rods 43 are rovided 'vviththe pin-bearing 89, which is ree to slide said rods. A stop or abutment ltl is provided on the cam-rod 43, and a spring 44 is interposed between the'pin-bearing 89 andthe'nfit 120 at the lower end of said cam-rod: Thebearing 89 engages the pin 45, which movesthe rod 43 longitudinally when the cam-lever 41 is moved by the cam 40. The other eiidef the cam-1 01143 is connected to the cup-arm 48 through the bearing-pin 47 and the piece 121, which is adjusted by the nut 122.

The cup-sins 48 provided Withthe crossarin 109 through which passes. the bearingpin' 50. The 13111750 is supported by adjustable bolts, 51 and which are carried brackets 53 secured to the frame 10.; The cup-arm 48 Carmine bearing in'54i to which is attached the helicai spring ad justable in length hy the bolts and wingnut 57, which engagethe franie 110. y The cups -19, 58 and59 "are made 'offlexible material, which is sewed to a ring-portion 4:8"formed on the end of the arm48. The apex of the cup is sewed to the end of a springfwire 63 attached to the arfndfi, The spring 63 acts to hold the apex of the cup seen so as" to preserve its conical shape when receiving the fruit. Buffers 62ers rovi'de'd to limit the upward swing of ilPS.

These buffers comprise platesGO secured by screws 60 to the inclined cross-piece 66 so cured to the frame 110. A band 61 of suitable material extends around the plate 60, said band being connected at' 'the rear by the sprin 61 which is suflicientlystrongto hold theiand 61 normally taut. 'Theplate 60 is provided With the recessed portitin' 6D at its front end, and it is also provided with the projectingfingers 60, which act tohold the band 61 in position and prevent itsslipping from the plate 60. It Will be; a l-parent from the above that when one of t soup arms is released and is carried few-sissy the spring, the arm Will engage massacre-'1 and said band will give enough td relieve the jar and strain.

Buii'ers 68 a1'e also provided to reduce the jar on the cup-arms when they are drawn the fruit is being moved by the lu s 39 over in; osition to be discharged into the cups.

he troughs '9'3have inclined bottoms and are open at one end alternately to permit the fruit mien out into bins on each side of the troughs The troughs are made tapering in form, and the larger ends of the troughs are supported by sheets of canvas 102, which are rigidiy fastened to bag-rails 96 supported by posts 100 secured to the bins 92. The canvas 102 is sewed to the two sides of the open end of the troughs at 103 and acts to support the trough vertically to prevent it from swinging horizontally. The bottom end of the canvas 102 is secured to the binpart'itions 107 and curves back above the partitions as at 102 to form a buffer in the of the fruit moving out of the two h and from which the fruit falls into 1; 1e bins '92.

The complete set of troughs 93 is preferably formed of one piece of'cloth folded without seams; The top edges or folds of the troughs are supported by straps 97, which pass over the trough-rails 96 and through screw-eyes 98, said troughs being connected in pairs by helical springs 99. The straps 97 thus have frictional contact with the rails 96 and the screw-eyes 98, which. retard their movement when acted upon by the force of an apple striking'the trough, which pulls on the strap and lengthens the Spring'and which in'turn by the recoil of the spring pulls the strap back into its normal position. This retarded or slow return of the strap 97 prevents the edge of the trough from swinging back quick enough to'throvvthe apple int'o'the next trough beforeit falls to the bottom of the trough, Which it is liable to do if the troughs are springsupported with no friction device retarding the recoil movement of them. The supporting of the troughs by the rigid canvas 102 greatly reduces the strain that would otheryvise be put upon the straps 97 and springs gfiso'bhat the springs 99 are made comparatively vveak and thus have much less power to recoiiand throiy the apple into another trdugih, which would mak the sizing inaccu rare; 'The cup-arm adjusting bolts 51 and 52 errnit th'c'iip, andnrm to be adjusted in position inth ree directionsvi z., toward the Wheel 34 by changingthe length of both of thefbdlts 52 equally; transversely of the wheel 34'by mzikiiig one bolt longer than the trough V. Thezspring 44 on the lrad.

ip event theo nne ing p rts from an broken by an apple catchingor stopping. etween the front rim of the cup 59 and the wheel 34, which would prevent the cupg from. moving down to its normal position for receiving the fruit. The resulting strain is relieved by the bearing-piece 89 slipping away from the stop 46 and compressing thespring 445 thus increasing the distance betweenlthe pins 45 and s7, and permittingthe loner .41. tube farthereclepressedrby' putting slight; dilitional strain on the parts. is;

It is very essential that the piecesof fruit reach the cup and fall into it oneby. one and in unison with the, movement of the cup. To secure this result, I have provided the adjustable runway side-pieces 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11, which can be adjustedr'to suit, the average size of the fruit, some large varieties of apples require a wider runway than small peaches. V ha a operation, the trait; to he seized-is dumped into the box 109 and is rolled into the runways l and 5 tobe carried alo A by the bolts 22 and 26. The sorterssta 'ing at opposite sides of the machine pick'the fruit out of the runways 1 and, 5; and place it in the runways 2, 3 and 4; according to grade. Uusually the C grade is placed in runway 4; the fancy inrunway'2; andthe extra fancy in runway 3. The bolts '23 24 and 25 carry the fruitito thediyidereplates 73. where the fruit ,is'piched' 11p by the lugs 39. and carried along the rails 37 to; be: discharged into the cup imposition-to receive the fruit. After the fruit liasbeen deposited in the cup, the cam-wheels .34. are setimed as to release the proper lever 41, and the spring 55 is then permitted to act on the cup-arm so as to throw the fruit from the cup. The fruit is thrown a distance corresponding; to itsweight and :drops intoiits proper trough93 whence it passes frognlthe open end of saidtronghinto the qaroperbin,

the canvas 102 forming a bufierlin' the path at the fruit passing from th trough tothe 6 Each in 7? acts to; lift the divider and hold has the fruit. When the lug 339e=has passed up a short distanceyas in Fig. 4,:the arm 76 escapes from'the pinl? and the divide1v73drops down into pesition for permitting another piecerofi fruit to rollwin: n n der the lug 39 inposition for the HBEX'EIU to lift itand roll it along thebufl'ersrailsit until it'rells into the cup, which hasr cen e down atthat particularinstantit receiieeiiti It is very essential that the machine take up as little space as possible, and in order to reduce the space required to a minlmum, I have preferably constructed my machine to throw all three grades of fruit into one set of bins. j I have made the spring 55, which swingsi cup 59, weak so it tosses the C @51 fruit into the ten troughs nearest to the cup, I agiljustthe spring which swings the cap so, that this cup tosses the fancy grade fruit into tentroughs farther away from the cup, and I adjust the spring which swin cup 58 so that it tosses the extra fancy gra e fruitinto ten troughs farthest away from the cup. From these troughs the fruit rolls out into the bins. The action of the cup is to throw the fruit a distance in pro rtion to its weight. The circles marked F, and ff El 'represent C? fancy and extra fancy grades, and the size of the circles indicate the size of the apples of a grade in a bin. The grades are in the bins marked (l-e1 to (J-10; 1 1 to F--10; E1? to #10. These grades overla or mix in one or more bins, and the bins w ere there are two ades in one bin, one grade is very small ruit and. the other grade is very large fruit, as is the case where F2 and C 9 are in the same bin. This mixing of the grades, which may be more than two bins,greatly reduces the Space required forbins by reducing their number. Where there are two sizes of apples in the same bin, one size is all one grade and the other size another grade, which enables the packers to pick them outwithout difficulty and place each grade in boxes by themselves.

By reducing the number of bins in this way the distance and height that the fruit is tossed is greatly reduced, which reduces the stmilkon the machine and permits the machine to be operated in a Warehouse with a lowceilingr 7 Where only one grade of fruit is required, the cups: are operated with springs of different'strengthand then the one grade is distributed to three localities in the bins, the same as the three grades, which gives a wider distribution and room for more packers to be employed. The same applies where tw'a'cups are employed.

- Whatl claim is:

Jl-ln a machine for sizing articles, the combination with a suitable frame, of receptacles for the=articles, and means for automatically delivering two or more ades of different sized articles to one of said receptacles.

-2. In a machine for sizing articles, the combination with a suitable frame, of receptacles'fo-r thearticles, and throwing means for delivering two or more grades of different sized articlm to one of said receptacles. 3.";In a machine "for sizing articles, the eombinaztion :witlri a suitable frame, of a s ring-actuated cup, means" for delivering t e article to said cup, a rotarycam, a lever in the path of said cam, and yielding connections between said lever and said cup for retracting same.

4. In a machine for sizing articles, the combination with a suitable frame, of a spring-actuated cup, means for delivering the articles to said cup, a rotary cam; a cuparm, a lever adapted'to be engaged by said cam, a rod connected tothe cuparm, and flexible connections between said rod and said lever.

5. In a machine for sizing articles, the combination with a suitable frame; of a spring-actuated cup-means for 'dli-iliverin g the articles to said 0111;), a rotary cam, am arm, a lever adapted to be engaghd by' Said cam, a rod connected to the'ca'in-aim, and slidable connections between said rod and said lever. V V

6. In a machine 'for sizing articlesythe combination with a suitable frame, of a spring-actuated cap, means for delivering the articles to said cup; at cup-arnm"'a'rotany cam, a lever in the path of said can, a'rtid connected to the cam-am, 'slidable connections between said rod and said levcryand a spring on said rod adaptedto relievethe strain on said rod.

7. In a machine for sizing articles, the combination with a suitable frame, of a spring-actuated cup, means for delivering the article to said cup, a cup-arm, a rotary cam, a lever in" the path of said cm, a ma connected to said cup-arm, oonnections'be tween said lever and Siild'l'fldffljlifl a spring on said rod interposed between said sleeve and an abutment on said rod.

8. In a machine for sizing articles,the combination with a suitable frame', -=of a spring-actuated cup, means for delivering the article to said cup, a cup-arm, a-rotary cam, a lever in the path of said oamg'a nod, abntments on said rod, a slidable sleeve ongaging one of said abutments, connections between said lever and said rod, and a spring on said rod interposed between said slidable sleeve and the other abutment.

9. In a machine for sizing articles, the combination with a suitable frame, of a spring-actuated throwing cup, means ferreleasing and retracting said cup, a runway for guiding the article into the cup comprising a pair of rails'ada'pted to receive and hold the article against ravity movement into the cup, meansfor elivering the articles one by one onto said rails, and means for moving the article along said rails to said cupa V 10. In a machine for sizing artioles, the combination withoar suitable frame; of a spring-actuated: throwing duii; mom for re leasing and retractmgsamd-a runway g'for guiding the article into the? cup comprising a pairo'f s'pa ced rails depressed for a port-ion of their iengtli to form a pocket to prevent gravity of the article into the Booked means for deliveringthe articles one yone tosaidrunway, and a rotary member having projections adapted to engage the article and move it on said rails to said cup.

-11. In a machine for sizing articles, the combination with a suitable frame, of a spring actuatedthrowing cup, means for releasing and retractin said cup, a runway for guiding the artic e into the cup comprising a pair of rails having beveled tracber-adapted to engage the article and move the same over said run-way to said cup, and meansior holding the succeeding article back while said projection is advancing an article to said cap.

E3; In a machlne for sizing articles, the combination with a suitable frame, of a spring-actuated throwing cup, means for releasing and retracting same, a rotary member, a stationary runway in said rotary member adapted for holding the article against gravity movements to said cup, means tor delivering the articles one by one to sarid runway, a projection on said rotary member adapted to engage the article and move the same over said runway to said cup, and means for holding the succeeding article backwhile said projection is advancing'an article to said clip.

14. In a machine for sizing articles, the combination with a; suitable frame, of a spring-actuated throwing-cup, means for releasing and retracting same, a rotary member, a stationar' runway on said rotary member, means I delivering the article to said runwa a projection carried by said rotary'mem or adapted to engage the article insaidrrinwayalid convey it to said cup, arid a divider-plate operated by the moverniont'of said rbtary member to hold back the succeeding article when said projection is advancing an article to said cup.

15;:In wmaohine for sizing articles; the combinatidh with a. suitable frame, of a spring-actuated throwing cup, means for rele'asirigvand retracting same, a rotary memrunway in said rotary her, a stationary runwa on said rotary member, means for feeding the article to said runway, a pro1ection on said rotary member adapted to engage said article in said runway to deliver it into said cup, a swinging divider-plate, an arm connected to said divider-plate, and a projection on said rotary member adapted to engage said arm.

16. In a machine for sizing articles, the combination with a suitable frame, of a traveling feeding device, a pick-up device, and a yieldin support in the space between said feeding evice and said pick-up device.

17. In a machine for sizing articles the combination with a suitable frame, of a traveling feeding device, a pick-up device, and a helical spring bridging the space between the said feedmg device and said pickup device.

18. In a machine for sizing articles, the combination with a suitable frame, of a runway, an endless traveling grading belt in said runway, a second runway, an endless traveling feed belt parallel with said rading belt in said second runway, and afjustable side portions at the forward ends of said second runway.

19. In a machine for sizing articles, the combination with a suitable frame, of a runway, an endless traveling grading belt in said runway, a second runway, an endless traveling feed belt parallel with said grading belt in said second runway, and pivot ally mounted adjustable side portions at the forward ends of said second runwa In testimony whereof I, the said ILLIAM G. PRICE, have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM G. PRICE.

Witnesses CARRIE Gnosnnnanon, HARRY LINSE. 

